Method of underpinning buildings.



J. B. GOLDSBOROUGH.

METHOD OF UNDERPINNING BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17 1913.

Patnted Apr. 14,1914.

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J. B. GOLDSBOROUGH. v

METHOD OF UNDERPINNING BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17I 1913.

1,093,262. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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JOHN B. GOLDSBOROUGH, or onoromnnw YORK.

METHOD OF UNDERPINNING BUILDINGS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN B. GoLDsBoR- oUeH, acitizen of the United States, residing in Croton, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Underpinning Buildings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the underpinning of buildings and similar heavystructures, and has for its object to provide means whereby a new andpermanent foundation or underpinning may be provided for such buildingor other structure at any desired depth lower than the originalfoundation without undermining the original foundation or interferingwith the supporting power of the earth upon which the same rests.

A further and important object of my invention is to provide suchbuilding or other structure with an underpinning or new foundationwithout the employment of temporary supports for the structure beingunderpinned or of shores, braces, needle beams, etc., the employment ofwhich obstructs the work in hand and interferes with the occupancy ofthe adjoining building.

It frequently becomes necessary, for various reasons, to provide abuilding with a new and deeper foundation. The foundations of themajority of buildings, particularly in cities, are usually located atfrom 12 to 15 feet below the curb and a slight distance below thebasement floor. Such foundations are ample when undisturbed but when, asis often the case, adjacent building operations require an excavation toa greater depth than the said foundation, or when the bearing power ofthe soil has become disturbed by the draining of the water therefromthrough excavations nearby, or when the weight on the building isgreatly increased, it becomes necessary to provide a building withfoundations of increased supporting power. and usually in case of deeperexcavations alongside, such foundations are extended to a greaterdepthand until they reach a sub-strata of sufiicient bearing power tosupport the increased weight. Such underpinning operations, particularlyin cases where buildings have been supported upon piers or columns, haveusually required that the earth underlying the original founda-Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1913.

Patented Apr. 1d, 1914:.

Serial No. 774,258.

tions should be removed; and such foundations themselves have usuallylikewise been removed to provide sufficient headroom for construction ofa new foundation. Such operations have involved the temporary sup portof the structure being underpinned. This is recognized as a difiicultanddangerous undertaking and it is a decided advantage to be able todispense with it. There is also a great advantage in providing a newfoundation without removing the earth from under the original foundationor interfering with the supporting power thereof.

My invention may be employed in underpinning a continuous wall havingthe ordinary type of foundation usually provided for such walls or inunderpinning a wall which is supported upon isolated piers or columnshaving independent footings. In the latter case I preferably bond thesaid footings together and provide a new and extended footing inaccordance with the method invented by me and more particularlydescribed and claimed in my Patent Reissue No. 13,610 dated August 26,1913.

The particular invention forming the subject-matter ,of this applicationis an improvement upon the method disclosed in my application forpatent, Serial No. 717 ,303, filed August 27, 1912. According to thesaid application beams are located transversely of the wall closelyadjacent to the base portion thereof and these beams are then connectedto suitable supporting columns. The said transverse beams are the meanswhereby the weight of the building wall is transferred to theunderpinning columns and it is a matter of importance that the saidbeams should bear evenly upon the base portion of this wall as thestrains are very heavy and if concentrated upon a few points of the wallare liable to crush the wall.

My present invention has for its object to provide means whereby auniform and con tinuous contact between the transverse beams and thebase portions of the wall may be assured.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a desirable embodiment of myinvention. Here Figure 1 illustrates the manner of forcing thetransverse beams to place beneath the wall; Fig. 2 illustrates acontinuous wall in the underpinning of which my invention is employed,different phases of the work being shown at different points; Fig. 3 isa plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. I is an elevation of a wall supported uponpiers and underpinned according to my invention; and Figs. 5 and 6 aretypical cross sections of Fig. 4, illustrating different modes offorming columns. Fig. 7 is a typical cross section for instance on theline 77 Fig, 2, illustrating the uneven contour of the bottom of thefooting. Fig. 8 is a typical similar cross section taken for instance onthe line 88 Fig. 2, illustrating the application of applicantsinvention.

According to my invention a supporting member A is forced through theearth transversely of the wall and immediately below the base portionthereof and is then cleaned. out so as to remove the earth therefrom. Atthe same time the earth is removed up to the bottom or base of the wall.The base of the wall is preferably cleaned of adhering dirt, etc., andin the space within the beam A and up to the bottom of the foundation orbase part of the wall liquid grout, concrete or the like is inserted insuch manner as that it shall flow into and completely fill the space andthereby establish and form a durable connection between the said beam Aand the bottom of the wall, whereby the weight of the wall is uniformlyand evenly borne in part by the said beam A. The said beam A may well beinserted in place, as indicated in Fig. 1, wherein space having beenprovided, by excavation if necessary, at one side of the wall the beamis located in position at one side of and lower than the foundation orbase portion B of the wall and is then pushed to place by a hydraulic orother jack C which reacts against an abutment D so as to force the beamtransversely of the wall. The said supporting member A is preferably inthe form of a hollow beam having an open top, and for this purpose Ihave heretofore preferred to employ I-beams a a of which a pair ispreferably employed, and more than two if desired, to each supportingmember. The number of I-beams employed for each supporting member willdepend upon the ultimate strength required in the said member. I preferI-beams because their flanges provide a desirable means whereby theweight is transferred fro-m the wall to the supporting member or beam A.Other flanged beams might serve such as channel or angle beams. The saidsupporting member A is open at the top for the reason that itoccasionally is found that the base portions or foundations B ofbuilding walls are very rough and irregular. They may be of rough andirregularly laid concrete or rubble, boulders, cut-stone, or what-not.Little or no attention is usually paid to having them of even contour atthe bottom. Therefore, it will be perceived that if the supportingmember A were inserted beneath the foundation or base portion B of thewall and made contact therewith at only possibly one point, that whenthe said supporting member A were fulfilling its function oftransferring the weight of the wall to the underpinning there would begrave danger of rupturing the wall or bending the supporting member.This danger is obviated by my present invention.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a typical cross section of a foundationof a building or other structure wherein an I-beam A has been driventransversely beneath the footing for the purpose of transferring theweight to underpinning columns H. Here it is seen that the unevencontour at the bottom of the footing B results in the existence ofspaces S between the top of the I-beam A and the said foot-ing B. Thiscauses a concentration of the weight on one or two points of the footingwhich is extremely undesirable. weight is concentrated at one point ofthe footing if the footing engages the I-beam at only one point, aswould be the case if a footing at one point only projected considerablybelow the common plane.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated the manner in which my invention overcomesthe evil results of such conditions Here the I-beam A is shown in dottedlines and grout or concrete S is inserted between the top flange of theI-beam and the bottom of the footing B, thereby causing a uniform andcontinuous connection between the Lbeam and the foot-' ing at allpoints.

My invention is equally applicable to the underpinning of a continuouswall, as illus-- trated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, where the wall E hasfoundations B which it wlll be seen are irregular at the bottom. Thesaid invention may likewise be employed in underpinning a wall asillustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, wherein the building wall, which hasbeen omitted for economy of space, is supported upon isolated piers F,each of which has its independent foundation or footing B. In saidfigures these footings have been bonded together, according to theinvention of my Patent Re-issue No. 13,610, to provide a unitary andextended footing G. The invention is only illustrated in connectiontherewith to show that it is capable of greatly extending the usefulnessof the said invention and that it is particularly applicable thereto,and as illustrating one manner in which it may be used to underpin awall supported on piers.

My invention is intended to transfer the weight of the wall tounderpinning columns and accordingly I have illustrated several ways inwhich said columns may be constructed. Such columns may take the form Itmay be that such of concrete piers H constructed in pits, as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3. In this case I prefer to locate the said pits asuitable distance away ,from the footings B and the supporting member Amay be made longer so as to rest upon the said columns. Shims and wedgesor other suitable means may be employed to transfer the weight to thecolumns H. In case sectional cylinders are employed to form theunderpinning columns, they will preferably be driven into the earthdirectly beneath the footings so that they may be forced down by the useof the Weight of the structure being underpinned exerted through someinstrumentality, as through a hydraulic or other jack, for this purpose.This may well be done in accordance with the method of the BreuchaudPatent No. 568,130, dated June 30, 1896. Such columns are illustrated inFigs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5 the underpinning columns J, J are sectionalcylinders which have been forced into the earth by means of a jackreacting against the footing G and employing the weight of the wall asresistance to force the cylinders J, J into the earth. In said figurethe pits in which the columns J have been forced into the earth areillustrated as filled with concrete J which forms a pressure resistingconnection between the cylinders and the supporting member A and shims Iare driven between the transverse supporting member A and the concreteconnection J to cause the weight of the wall to be borne by the column.If desired the underpinning cylinders may have upper sections K, as inFig. 6, which extend substantially up to the supporting member A and aredirectly connected thereto by shims.

I have found it desirable in some cases to inclose the supporting memberA in concrete or the like, and accordingly I have illustrated in theseveral figures the removal of the soil on each side of the saidsupporting member. This enables me to fill the space thus formed withgrout or the like at the same time that the beam A is filled and therebyI am enabled to surround the said beam A with the protecting grout whichdesirably increases the area of the supporting member. This may safelybe done, because I preferably form the columns, whether the same consistof the columns H or of the underpinning cylinders J before driving thesupporting beams A and therefore, in case columns H have been located,the supporting beams A may after they have been driven be connected tothe said columns so as to be supported thereby before the earth outsideof said beamsis excavated and thereby additional support will beprovided and enable the excavation to be safely made. In case theunderpinning cylinders are employed the same will be preferablyconnected up to the footing G, if this style of footing is employed, soas to temporarily support the same before the supporting members aredriven or the additional excavation on each side thereof is made.

I do not regard my invention as necessarily limited to the kind of wallbeing underpinned or to the kind of columns employed in connectiontherewith or the number of beams employed in each supporting member, assaid wall may be of any kind and the underpinning columns may, if,employed, be of any desired construction and may in some instances beentirely omitted and the number of beams may be varied for differentcases according to circumstances. These and other modifications may bemade within the limits of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The method of underpinning buildings or otherstructures, which consists in 'l'forcing a supporting member having sidewalls and open at the top through the earth transversely of, and closelyadjacent to, the base portion of said building or other structure, incleaning out the earth from said support ing member and up to theunderside of said base portion, and filling the spaces between the topof said supporting member and the underside of said base portion and thespace between the side walls of said supporting member with grout or thelike.

2. The method of underpinning buildings or other structures, whichconsists in locating an underpinning column in the earth adjacent thestructure to be underpinned, in forcing a supporting member having sidewalls and open at the top through the earth transversely of thefoundation of said building or other structure and closely adjacent thebase portion thereof, in cleaning out the earth from said supportingmember and up to the base of the said foundation, and filling the spacesbetween the top of said supporting member and the underside of said baseportion and the space between the side walls of said supporting memberwith grout or the like, and in interposing a pressure resistingconnection between the said column and said supporting member.

3. The method of underpinning buildings or other structures, whichconsists in locating an underpinning column in the earth adjacent thestructure to be underpinned, in then temporarily supporting saidstructure upon said column, in forcing a supporting member having sidewalls and open at the top through the earth transversely of thefoundation of said building or other structure, and closely adjacent thebase portion thereof, in cleaning out the earth from said supportingmember and up to the base of the said foundation, and filling the spacesbetween the top of said supporting member and the underside of said baseportion and the space between the side walls of said supporting memberwith grout or the like, and

in interposing a pressure resisting connection between the said columnand said supporting member.

4:. The method of underpinning a building or other structure, whichconsists in forcing a pair of substantially parallel I beams through theearth transversely of the foundation of said building or other structureand closely adjacent the base portion thereof, in cleaning out the earthbetween said I- beams and up to the base of the said foundation andfilling the spaces between the top of said I-beams and the underside ofsaid base portion and the space between the side walls of said I-beamswith grout or the like.

5. The method of underpinning a building or other structure, whichconsists in forcing a pair of substantially parallel I beams through theearth transversely of the foundation of said building or otherstructure, and closely adjacent the base portion thereof, in cleaningout the earth between said I- beams and up to the base of the saidfoundation and filling the spaces between the top of said I-beams andthe underside of said base port-ion and the space between the side wallsof said I-beams with grout or the like, and in connecting the said beamsto supporting columns.

(3. An underpinning for buildings or the like, comprising a supportingbeam having side walls and open at the top located beneath the baseportion of the foundation thereof, and a filling of grout or the like insaid beam and extending to the base of the said foundation and fillingthe spaces between the top of said beam and the underside of saidfoundation, whereby an even and uniform connection between the said beamand base portion of the foundation is provided, an underpinning columnlocated in the earth and a pressure resisting connection between thesaid column and said supporting beam.

7. An underpinning for buildings or the like, comprising I-beams locatedtransversely of the foundation thereof and closely adjacent the baseportion of said foundation, a filling of grout or the like between thesaid I-beams and extending to the base of the said foundation andfilling the spaces between the top of said beam and the underside ofsaid foundation, whereby a uniform and continuous connection is providedbetween the said I-beams and the base of said foundation, anunderpinning column located in the earth and a pressure resistingconnection between the said column and said I-beams.

8. The method of underpinning a building or other structure, whichconsists in forcing a flanged beam transversely of the foundationthereof and closely adjacent the base portion of said foundation, inremoving the earth at the sides of said beam and between the beam andthe base of the foundation and filling the space thus formed withconcrete or the like whereby an even and uniform connection is madebetween said beam and the said foundation. r

9. The method of underpinning building 7 or other structures, whichconsists in locating an underpinning column in the earth adjacent thestructure to be underpinned, in then temporarily supporting saidstructure upon said column, in forcing a flanged beam transversely ofthe foundation of said building or other structure and closely adjacentthe base portion thereof, in removing the earth at the sides of saidbeam and between the beam and the base of the said foundation andfilling the spaces between the top of said flanged beam and the underside of said base portion and the spaces at the sides of said beam withconcrete or the like whereby an even and uniform connection is madebetween said beam and the underside of said foundation, and inconnecting the said beam to said column.

10. The method of underpinning buildings or other structures, whichconsists in locating an underpinning column in the earth adjacent thestructure to be underpinned, in forcing a flanged beam transversely ofthe foundation of said building or other structure and closely adjacentthe base portion thereof, in removing the earth between the top of thebeam and the base portion of the said foundation, and filling the spacethus formed with grout or the like, whereby an even and uniformconnection between the wall and said beam is formed and connecting saidbeam to said underpinning column.

11. A support .for buildings or other structures comprising a flangedbeam located in the earth transversely of the foundation of saidstructure, and a filling of grout or the like between the upper side ofsaid beam and the underside of said foundation, whereby an even anduniform connection between the wall and said, beam is formed.

12. A support for buildings or other structures comprising a flangedbeam located in the earth transversely of the foundation of saidstructure, and a filling of grout or the like between the upper side ofsaid beam and the underside of said foundation whereby an even anduniform connection between the wall and said beam is formed,underpinning columns located in the earth adjacent the ends of saidbeams, and connections between said beam and said columns.

13. The method of underpinning buildings or other structures, whichconsists in forcing a flanged beam transversely of the foundation ofsaid building or other structure and closely adjacent the base portionthereof, in removing the earth between the signed my name in thepresence of two subtop of the beam and the base portion of the scribingwitnesses. said. foundation, and filling the space thus formed withgrout or the like, whereby an JOHN GOLDSBOROUGH' 5 even and uniformconnection between the Witnesses:

wall and said beam is formed. GEORGE MILLER,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto JOSEPH F. SHWEDO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of IE'atents,

Washington, D. G.

